Yunus Musah does not turn 18 until the end of November, but he has already attracted the gazes of a string of Premier League clubs, reportedly including Leeds United.
Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal - whose academy the teenager left to join Valencia - are all credited with keeping tabs on the midfielder, according to 90 Min, who has taken La Liga somewhat by surprise this season.
The 17-year-old made his USMNT debut earlier this month, despite being an England U-18 international as recently as this year, due to the fact he was born in New York. He will still be eligible to play for England - as well as Ghana and Italy - until he makes a competitive appearance for the United States.
Musah was at Arsenal's Hale End academy until last summer when he opted to join Valencia. From there he starred in their B Team throughout 2019-20 and was admitted to the first-team setup this season.
The teenager's rise has partly been due to Valencia's recent transfer activity, which has seen them offload key first-team midfielders Dani Parejo, Francis Coquelin, Rodrigo Moreno and Geoffrey Kondogbia.
Typically a central midfielder, Musah has predominantly been utilised on the right-hand side of Javi Gracia's Valencia midfield this year, scoring his first goal for the club against Getafe earlier this month.
Musah's technical and physical abilities belie his age, and the fact he spent his time growing up in Italy and then east London suggests he would be malleable enough to adapt to yet another new environment. The teenager possesses an incredible engine and fantastic straight-line speed; he seems able to almost bounce defenders' challenges, and has not looked physically bested at any point in his La Liga appearances so far.
Leeds have conducted business with Valencia as recently as this summer, agreeing a club-record fee for Rodrigo. Good relations in transfer negotiations could be important if and when a Premier League side decide to make a move for the youngster. Given his meteoric rise in recent months, from England youth international playing at B Team level in Spain, to US international starring in La Liga, Premier League clubs will come calling - that is an inevitability.
Players aged 17 and 18 tend to be very raw and unrefined, particularly if they are being tested at the top level like Musah is. At present, he is capable of that one game-defining sprint, or one dribble which beats multiple players, but the consistency is lacking - he remains an extremely inefficient player who would be best suited to a counter-attacking team until he hones his natural abilities.
There are facets to his game which suggest he would be a good fit in England, but he would need a great deal of polish before he becomes a Premier League regular. It must not be forgotten that his accession to the Valencia setup is borne out of his own hard work, but also a kind helping of good fortune in the way of player sales which have provided a pathway to first-team football.
Leeds will hope their previous relationship with Valenica will put them in the conversation for Musah's signature.
